The Angels have once more positioned outfielder Randal Grichuk on waivers, experiences Bob Nightengale of USA At the moment (Twitter link). The veteran went unclaimed when the Halos put him on waivers final week.
That seems the likeliest final result this time round. When Grichuk was obtainable final week, he would’ve been eligible for postseason play with a brand new crew. That’s not the case, as anybody acquired from outdoors the group after September 1 is ineligible for the playoffs. Any crew that places in a declare for Grichuk, an impending free agent, would solely have the ability to play him for the ultimate three and a half weeks of the common season.
Whereas it appears unlikely a membership can be all for doing that, there’s at the very least some logic to the Angels making an attempt to maneuver Grichuk once more. When he was on waivers final time, fellow right-handed hitting outfielders Hunter Renfroe and Harrison Bader have been additionally obtainable. The Reds, who have been close to the highest of the waiver order amongst groups with a shot at making the playoffs, claimed each gamers.
Each crew handed on Grichuk. But it appears probably there have been groups behind the Reds in waiver precedence that put in unsuccessful claims for Bader and/or Renfroe. Maybe the Angels hope that a type of golf equipment can be keen to pivot to Grichuk now that they know they’ll’t land one of many different gamers.
For the Angels, the motivation is obvious. Los Angeles has spent the previous week endeavoring to get their luxurious tax quantity under the $233MM base threshold. Basic supervisor Perry Minasian confirmed on Friday that shedding the contracts of Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo López, Matt Moore, Dominic Leone and Renfroe didn’t get them to that time, as they remained on the hook for a few of Grichuk’s wage when he went unclaimed. The Halos positioned Max Stassi on the restricted record over the weekend, declining to pay him for the ultimate month of the season whereas he’s away from the crew attending to a household well being situation. That reportedly knocked round $300K off the membership’s tax ledger however nonetheless left it unclear if the Angels had limboed under the road.
Grichuk stays eligible to play for the Angels whereas the waiver course of performs out. He would probably stick on the MLB roster for the ultimate few weeks of the season if he once more goes unclaimed. Grichuk has hit solely .179/.230/.359 in 31 video games for the Halos after they acquired him from the Rockies previous to the commerce deadline.
